Net is playground for parents as well as children

Parents are far more likely to use the internet regularly than adults without children, according to research published today, and what they are doing online varies with the age of their offspring.

The research, carried out in a dozen countries by the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA), reinforces the view that people with children stay at home more than other adults, but also shows that for parents the internet is a source of information and entertainment.

Much of the recent debate about home internet usage has been over children spending increasing time online. Recent research from the Institute for Public Policy Research found that British children are in effect being "raised online".

The regulator Ofcom found that millions of children circumvent age restrictions to log on to social networking websites which are intended for older users. Last month Dr Tanya Byron, who was appointed by Gordon Brown to investigate the impact of the digital world on children, called on the government and online industry to make cyberspace safer for young people.

The EIAA's Digital Families report looks at how parents use the internet, sometimes on their own and sometimes with their children beside them at the keyboard. It found that almost three-quarters of adults who live with children log on to the internet every week, compared with 52% of childless adults. Digital parents spend an average of 11.6 hours a week online, up 36% since 2004, according to the EIAA.

People with babies and infants are increasingly visiting websites dealing with health issues. Adults with children aged between five and nine focus on gaming websites, many seeking entertainment that their children can enjoy, while parents of teenagers are spending more time on price comparison websites.